¿Dónde está el baño?

¡Barcelona, Barcelona, Barcelona!
I absolutely LOVE Barcelona.  It is my favorite Spanish city yet.  I can´t even describe why I love it so much.  I think it is because of the feel it has.  Barcelona is a city with a mix of everything.  It has the Mediterranean Sea; it is a bigger city; and is just amazing!  You will shortly see its beauty after I post my pictures, but right now this computer is not allowing me too.  ¡Qué pena!  But don´t worry, the next computer I get to I will upload all 163 Barcelona pics for your enjoyment!  For now, you will have to rely on my descriptive writing ability.  Haha.
My parents and I first arrived in Barcelona on the train, which was a wonderful experience, Thursday afternoon.  The first surprise was our ¨hotel¨ or should I say upscale hostel??  Seeing my parents reaction to the three tiny beds, tiny bathroom and shower, and everything else that comes with a hostel was quite amusing.  Hotel Fina, however, is in a prime location about 4 doors down from Las Ramblas, the main stretch of Barcelona.  Las Ramblas is a happening place at any time of the day, especially Easter weekend!  There are gypsies about and crazy creatures dressed up on the sides of the streets trying to earn a few euros or two.  Vendors line the streets selling everything from flowers to postcards to chickens, bunnies, and even pigeons.  Yes, that´s right, you could be the owner of your very own pigeon - crazy, right?  I even got my picture taken with one of these creatures which will soon become my new facebook profile picture!  After walking around Thursday afternoon we were ready to take the bus tour on Friday and Saturday.  This bus tour was the official bus tour of Barcelona and was a double-decker which made it all the better!
Day 1 of the bus tour:  First stop, of course, was the Sagrada Familia.  The Sagrada Familia was designed by Antoni Gaudi, a famous artist and architect of Spain.  Its construction began in 1882 and is not done yet.  But it is magnificent!  The choir section alone has room for 1200 singers.  The most magnificent and breathtaking part of the church, besides its enormous spires, is definitely the architecture on the outside depicting the death of Christ on one side and His birth on the other.  I have never seen anything like it.  Gaudi has fantastic taste and a style that is unmatched by anything or anyone.  His style is not traditional at all.  Throughout the bus tour we were able to see other museums and architectural structures by Gaudi all throughout Barcelona and they were amazing and unique.  After the Sagrada Familia, we went to Parc Gruell also designed by Gaudi.  This huge park was once an unsuccessful housing development for the rich which was eventually turned into a public park.  Gaudi´s architectural design and taste is reflected throughout.
My parents and I also enjoyed eating breakfast at La Boqueria, a fresh market with meats, lentils, vegetables, fruits, pasteries, tapas bars... practically anything you want in a market, La Boqueria has.  It is muy muy grande!  And delicious!  One fruit vendor sold fresh fruit smoothies! Yummmmmmm.  Speaking of food, my parents and I were able to try some amazing food and drinks here including Cava, which is sort of like champagne but is unique to Barcelona.  Twice we went to this same tapas bar outside of this large Cathedral that we went to a Catholic mass for Easter at.  I think tapas are my favorite over paella.  I love my jámon cerrano!
Day 2 of our bus tour we went to something called Poble Espanyol, which is like a outdoors museum on steroids!  It was amazing.  We spent all day there walking the streets and going into craft and artisan stores.  Everything was structured after real places in all over the autonomous regions of Spain.  There was also a few indoors museums, one of which held a few Picasso works.  My mom ended up buying a few gifts for people back in the states there.  Very unique!
Since I am running out of minutes at the computer place, I need to sum this up!  Overall, Barcelona stole my heart - just like Spain, in general, has.  I don´t know how I am going to depart from Spain.  My host mother Feli tells me that I am the most Spanish student they have hosted at their home.  She tells me I am Spanish and that this is definitely home for me.  Feli is so adamant on that that she is searching for a cute Spanish boy for me to marry!  Good luck Feli!!  I would be all for that ;) although I think my dad might not be. haha.
Anyways next time I post, I will be in Roma, Italia!  I hope everyone is enjoying their Easter where they are at in this world.  The Lord is so good!  His resurrection gives us all the possibility of a life with Him!  How amazing that the God of the universe would give His only Son to save all of us sinners.  Wow!  What love.  I pray that we can all know a love like that!
Well that´s all for now. 
Hasta luego, un beso,
Sarah